


Three is no crowd

by Daughter_of_Scotland



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Angst, Barry thinks everyone is hot, Broken Hearts, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt feelings, M/M, Misunderstandings, Multi, Pining, Polyamory, burned pancakes, idiots being protective of each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-18 21:53:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5944390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daughter_of_Scotland/pseuds/Daughter_of_Scotland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mick and Len like each other. Len likes Barry. So does Mick. Barry likes Len. Barry also likes Mick. But no one knows that last bit. Everyone is miserable. Until they're not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Mick

**Author's Note:**

> So, here's my first OT3 fic. Coldflashwave of course.  
> Thanks as always to my darling Jess for beta reading.
> 
> This fic will have two more chapters, showing the story from Len's and Barry's POV, too.

Mick had watched Len pacing and debating for over a week now. At first he'd been amused. It wasn't often that he could see Len slowly lose his grip on his rationality.    
After a while though it had become boring.    
  
Len was distracted, he burned his pancakes twice, and wasn't interested in sex. And while Mick had no real problem with the last part, he liked his pancakes perfect, not charred to bits. So it was time to put an end to this.    
  
"Just ask the kid out, Len," Mick growled, putting down his book he'd been trying to read.    
  
Len stopped from where he was drumming his fingers on the windowsill and looked at him sharply. "Excuse me?"   
  
Mick rolled his eyes. "Cute," he drawled. "You trying to pretend you don't know what I'm talking about."   
He stood and moved over, pulling Len against him.    
  
Len immediately relaxed and leaned more on Mick's chest.    
  
"You like the little shit," Mick said. "So stop being an angsty fucker and ask him out."   
  
Len huffed out a laugh. "But you like him, too," he pointed out.    
  
His friend had a point, but. Mick shrugged. "And he likes you," he answered. "When we're meeting up he always looks at you."  _ Never at me _ , Mick didn't say but it was implied. Well, he also didn’t put himself in the foreground, happy to just… Watch the kid beam and shine like the freaking sun. But still. It hurt, being ignored.   
  
Len sighed. "You're still my partner," he said into Mick's chest.    
  
Mick smiled. No one except him knew how sappy the great Captain Cold could be. "And you're mine," he answered. "Now go and catch yourself a speedster, Lenny."   
  
Len nodded and let go. With a fierce, happy grin he moved towards the door, plucking his phone from his pocket on the way.    
  
Mick looked after him even after the door had closed. He wondered how much he'd hurt in the future and how long it would take to get over it.

 

***

 

Len and Barry had been dating for two months now. From what Len had said, Barry had been adorably flustered when he realized the “meeting” Len had asked him to go to was a date. Mick could definitely see it.

 

He was happy for Len, he truly was. His friend was smiling, he was more relaxed, the pancakes were perfect again. Barry was truly good for him.

 

Mick sighed and closed his eyes. He was on the couch, his head back, listening to the soft sounds of talking from the kitchen. Barry was over for dinner, he and Len were cooking together. Mick was invited, of course. He and Len lived together, it would be weird if he wasn’t. Barry had said so himself.

 

Mick was glad, actually. He had been afraid he’d be forced out of Len’s life when Barry took up more space in it. This was certainly not the case. Mick was almost always around when they were at their apartment, and sometimes he was even invited to their less romantic dates, like movies or bowling. So he still got to spend a lot of time with Len. But goddamnit, it hurt. Seeing Barry and Len, the two people who had wormed their way into Mick’s heart and refused to leave, so happy together. With him on the outside. 

 

Mick seriously contemplated looking for an alternative place to stay. He could maybe move in with Mardon, the guy had the room after Shawna moved out. He wouldn’t ask Lisa - he never wanted to see her naked again, that one time was enough to scar both of them forever.

 

He was ripped from his musings as Len and Barry entered the living room. 

 

“Dinner’s almost done,” Barry said, smiling at Mick, who nodded in acknowledgement, but didn’t trust his voice enough to do more than that. It always seemed to be too soft around the kid.

 

“Anything interesting on?” Len asked and sat down next to Mick, pulling Barry on the couch, too. 

 

Mick wondered if he should move to the armchair. The couch was not big enough for three people, even if Barry was half sitting in Len’s lap. “Nothing interesting,” he answered. “Netflix seems like a better option.”

 

Len hummed and flipped through their collection. “Any requests?”

 

“How about Eurotrip?” Barry suggested. “It’s a fun one.”

 

“Never seen it,” Mick said, careful not to look at him, and Len pulled it up so they could read the summary.

 

“Sounds good,” Len finally said. “Mick?”

 

“Sure, whatever,” he mumbled, his eyes closed again so he wouldn’t see Barry’s hand stroking Len’s arm out of the corner of his eye.

 

“I’ll check on the food,” Barry said and got up, giving Len a kiss on the cheek by the sound of it. Mick wanted to burn his ears off.

 

“You alright?”

 

Mick rolled his head and squinted at his best friend. “Why shouldn’t I be?”

 

Len shrugged. “You’re acting weird today,” he answered, grabbing his open beer bottle from the table. “Something up?”

 

Mick shrugged. “Nah,” he said, looking back at the TV, paused on the intro for the movie. “Just a headache.”

 

Len didn’t say anything but he bumped his shoulder into Mick’s, who quirked a smile. 

 

“Food’s ready,” Barry interrupted them and for a moment Mick wished they and the Flash were still enemies. His heart hadn’t been in this constant state of aching back then.

But he didn’t say anything, instead went into the kitchen with Len to get his bowl of turkey chili before they all moved back to the living room and their movie.

 

Mick sat in the armchair for the rest of the night.

 

***

 

It got harder, instead of easier.

 

Seeing Len happy usually made Mick happy, too. But this time, Len’s happiness depended on Mick being unhappy, without even knowing it. 

 

He watched Barry wrap himself in Len’s arms on their couch, he watched them bicker over the last pieces of take out, he watched them being disgustingly cute on their dates-which-aren’t-real-dates-so-you-should-come-Mick, he talked to Len-And-Barry more than he talked to Just-Len most of the time, it felt like.

 

They hadn’t pulled a heist in ages, instead worked together with Team Flash in taking down metas. Which, in itself, wasn’t bad. But after a fight it wasn’t their apartment Len went to, but Barry’s. Thank god Barry still wasn’t invited to stay the night at Len’s and Mick’s place; Mick wouldn’t have survived it. Just imagining them having sex, the fact that Barry might hear the sounds Len made when he was close to cumming, drove Mick half-mad with pain. But that also meant that Len was out way more often, leaving Mick alone at home.

Mick didn’t handle being alone very well.

 

***

 

“Goddamnit, Mick, what the hell?”

 

Mick was staring at the field of flames in front of him. Ferris Air was still abandoned, no one would care if he burned down some of the old hangars there - that’s what he had thought, at least. But Len had apparently caught up with him and was now trying to pull Mick away to his car.

 

“Leave me alone!” Mick growled, barely audible over the roaring fire, and pulled his arm from Len’s grip. He could feel the flames, his face was getting hotter and hotter. Just a few steps closer and he would be able to  _ really  _ feel them. Feel them burning off the sparse hair on his head, feel his flesh peel and smoulder - 

 

“Fuck you, Mick, come with me or so help me god I’m putting you on ice!”

 

Mick whirled around without thinking and punched Len square in the face.

 

Len was so surprised he actually staggered back, hand flying to his nose which was gushing blood. He stared at Mick in shock.

 

Mick stared back. Suddenly, he started to tremble. He never wanted to see Len bleed, especially not by his own hand. But he was just so… Frustrated. He couldn’t contain it inside for much longer, which is why he set the fire. Why…

 

“Why did you have to come here?” Mick yelled at him. “Why couldn’t you just stay away, stay with Barry, and leave me the fuck alone?”

 

“Because you’re my friend, Mick,” Len managed to get out, coming closer, wiping his nose on his parka. “I won’t let you self-destruct, I told you that years ago. When you… When you lose control, you usually tell me about it. I would have helped you.”

 

Mick looked to the side, his fists clenching at his side. “Yeah, well, you were pre-occupied,” he growled and stomped past Len to the car. The flames had lost their appeal now.

 

Len followed slowly, driving them home in silence. Barry didn’t come over that night.

 

***

 

They didn’t talk about it. But Len wasn’t stupid, he probably realised what had set Mick off, because he stopped inviting Mick to dates with Barry. Barry himself seemed a bit confused about it but Len stopped him from asking, Mick supposed. They also tended to come over to their apartment less often.

Mick wasn’t sure if he was happy or disappointed by that.

 

But then Len was home more often. At first Mick didn’t even notice it. They watched movies together, cooked, actually talked. All without Barry. It had been a while that it had been just the two of them and Mick was happy.

 

But then he noticed that Len was, for lack of a better word, grumpy. He seemed to be more quiet, stomped around the apartment like a caged animal, and one time Mick thought he actually heard him crying at night. But when Len burned the pancakes again, Mick had to put a stop to this.

 

“What’s wrong?” he asked, poking his pancake that was more charr than actual pancake. No amount of jelly would save this. “You’re in a bad mood. What happened?”

 

Len sighed and threw away the black monstrosity he had been about to put on his own plate. “Never could hide much from you,” he complained.

 

Mick smirked. “You’re very easy to read,” he responded. “One just needs to know your tells. But seriously. What’s up?”

 

Len sat down, folding his hands in what Mick knew was a nervous gesture. “It’s Barry,” he started and Mick rolled his eyes. That, he had been able to figure out on his own.

 

Len rolled his eyes right back before he became serious again. “Lately he’s been… Distant,” he tried to explain. “It’s just… He’s more withdrawn, more skittish. He can’t look me in the eye, but when I ask, he denies anything is wrong. He blew me off twice for the movies, and I know he wants to see that movie, too. He stopped asking me to come over here, which is completely different to the times he practically gave me puppy eyes asking when we would spend some time here again.”

 

Mick thought about it. It didn’t sound like the kid at all. Either there was something really wrong, something meta-related, or…

 

“I think he wants to break up with me.”

 

There was so much pain in Len’s voice, it took Mick’s breath away. His heart would always belong to Len, no matter how deep Barry had managed to burrow himself into it. Seeing his partner, the man he loved more than anything in this world, so broken made Mick see red.

 

“I’m going to talk to him,” he said and got up, hurrying to the door.

 

“Wait, Mick, no -” Len called after him but Mick ignored him. This wasn’t something he would let stand. If the kid wanted to break Len’s heart, then he better had a really good reason for it. And if he was just kidding around, Mick would make it clear that that was not an acceptable way to treat Leonard Snart. 

 

***

 

He sent Barry a text to know where to find him. He hoped Len didn’t actually send the kid a text, too, to warn him, but he doubted it. Len was  _ hurting _ . But he loved the kid too much to actually talk to him about it. He was probably relieved Mick was doing this.

 

He arrived at Barry’s apartment - he’d never been here, it was actually quite the nice neighborhood - and took the stairs two at a time until he arrived on the third floor. He pounded on the door which was opened by Barry only a second later.

 

“Mick,” Barry said, evading his eyes. “What are you doing here?”

 

Mick pushed the kid back into the apartment, getting a surprised squawk in return, and stepped inside, closing the door behind himself.

 

Barry stared at him, confusion and a hint of something else - fear? - in his eyes. “Mick…”

 

“Shut up!” Mick growled and Barry closed his mouth with an audible click. 

 

Mick grabbed Barry’s shirt and pushed him against the wall, caging him in. “I don’t know what shit you’re trying to pull,” he started in his most threatening voice. “I don’t know if this is some kind of game for you, playing with Len like that. But believe me, kid, I won’t stand for it.”

 

Barry pushed against Mick’s hands, which he tightened reflexively. The kid was a superhero, if he really wanted to get away, Mick wouldn’t be able to stop him. Didn’t mean he had to make it easy for him.

 

“It’s not like that,” Barry denied, finally letting his hands rest on Mick’s wrists. The contact felt like fire, but Mick wasn’t sure if it was the good or the bad kind. “I swear, it’s not.”

 

“Then what is it?” Mick asked. “Why are you evading him, why are you making him unhappy? If you have second thoughts, if you don’t want to be with him anymore -”

 

“Of course I want to be with him, I love him!” Barry interrupted Mick’s tirade and  _ ouch _ . That hurt, even though Mick had guessed it was the case. 

 

Barry blinked, as if surprised by his own words. “I love him,” he repeated in a very fragile voice. “But I think I love you, too.”

 

_ What? _ Mick let go of Barry and stumbled back, hitting the closet on the other side of the narrow corridor. “What?” he rasped out, and was that his voice?

 

Barry swallowed but his eyes didn’t waver, they continued to bore into Mick’s. The kid was clearly finding his courage now that he’d said the words for the first time.

 

“I shouldn’t,” he said. “I know it’s… It’s not fair, not to Len. And not to you. But… Spending time with you, with both of you, I just… I want to be with  _ both  _ of you. I want to stay at your apartment, and watch movies, eating the food we cooked together, and… And I want to fall asleep with both of you.”

 

Mick trembled. This didn’t… This didn’t make sense. The kid only ever looked at Len. He didn’t… He was lying.

 

“You’re lying,” Mick said, shaking his head. “You look at Len like he hang the moon, you never…” He swallowed. “You never saw me.”

 

“I did,” Barry answered, slowly stepping closer. “I always saw you, Mick. It just took me a bit longer to understand what I was seeing.” 

 

Mick couldn’t stop him. The soft hand on his cheek, caressing it, felt so different to Len’s, but it was the same burn he could always compare to a flame’s loving embrace. The lips on his were more chapped, a bit dry, moving slower and more unsure than Len’s, but… They felt just as right.

 

Mick kissed back on instinct. For once, fire was the last thing on his mind, as the thoughts in his head all stumbled to a halt, blaring only one thing:  _ I can have this. _


	2. Barry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm without wifi right now and I found myself doing lots of different things - but not writing.  
> Until yesterday, so here, have the next chapter. Barry is a confused bunny ;)
> 
> Not beta read though!

Barry was screwed.

And not the good kind, either. Because, weird as it may sound, if it were the good kind, Barry wouldn’t be screwed. Somehow. Kind of.

Anyway.

It was one thing to think of your enemy as handsome, or pretty. Barry had to admit that he had those thoughts more often than he cared to count, seeing as most of his enemies seemed to be blessed by nature in that department. Hartley, Mardon, Baez, the Bug-eyed Bandit, _Mick Rory_ , even Tony in his own way, were way too pretty to be good for his health.

And then there was Snart. Captain Cold. Len. The reason Barry was screwed-but-actually-not.

Snart wasn’t just handsome. He was unfairly hot, funny, witty, terribly smart, and Barry jerked off to those deep blue eyes of his way too often. Seriously, way, way too often.

But finding your enemy hot and wanting to do the kinkiest of things to them was one thing. Not the reason Barry was screwed.

No, that’s because he had to go and _fall in love_ with the asshole.

That’s right. Barry Allen, the Flash, hero of Central City, was in love with his arch-nemesis, Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, part of the Legends crew running around time to save the world.

Barry was so screwed.

 

***

 

It started a few weeks after the Legends crew had stopped for some kind of holiday in their own time, everyone going back home. Suddenly, after weeks of nothing, Captain Cold and Heatwave were _everywhere_. They weren’t even conducting real heists, seemingly contend with having the Flash run circles around them, engaging in weird, non-serious fights, and way too much banter.

Barry got clipped by Snart’s ice a few times when he got too mesmerized by the way they volleyed insults and puns around to make sure he wasn’t in the way. Rory seemed exasperated by it all at first, but then he _joined in_ , and suddenly the weapons were off and Barry was standing still, all three of them just yelling at each other. And it happened more than once. Cisco actually asked if he needed to book them a restaurant for their flirting, with Caitlin muttering that a hotel room might be better.

Barry flashed out of that conversation so fast he might have left a speed-mirage. His face was burning. But he also wondered if their banter really was more than that. Was he flirting with Snart? Well, he knew _he_ was, and Rory was very easy to trade barbs with, too. But was Snart flirting _back_?

Couldn’t be, right?

 

Barry was still pondering the whole thing when he stepped out of his shower that evening. He had finally moved out of Joe’s house again – with Iris back there and Wally finally considering Joe’s offer to move in, Barry had not taken much time to find a new place. He didn’t want to get in the way of their family bonding, even if Joe and Iris both called him an idiot for thinking that.

Anyway. He was alone in his two-bedroom apartment, his shower had been amazing, and now Barry was ready to pig out with pizza and spend the evening on the couch, trying to forget the weird thing between him and his nemeses for now.

That was until his phone rang.

Barry groaned but moved to get it. He was only wearing sweats, chest bare, and still toweling his hair. He really hoped no one would expect him to wear clothes for whatever was up.

The number he saw was unknown, making Barry frown, but he picked up anyway.

“Hello?” he asked cautiously.

Silence reigned for a moment before there was a shaky exhale. “Didn’t expect you to pick up this fast.”

Barry pulled the phone from his ear, towel falling to the ground from his suddenly slack wrist. Still unknown number. “ _Cold_?” he asked incredulously.

The next sound he heard was a chuckle. “Actually, outside of work, I like to go by Len,” Cold – Snart – _Len_ – said and wow, his voice was different over the phone. Softer, somehow. “I need a meeting, Scarlet.”

Barry blinked, still not quite sure what was going on. “A meeting?” he repeated, helplessly looking around, expecting someone to jump at him with a camera and a “Punk’d” sign. “Why?”

“Just…” A frustrated huff. “Will you meet me? Tonight? Say around eight?”

Barry looked at the clock. “It’s seven-thirty,” he pointed out.”

“I don’t think you need much time to be ready and get to the restaurant,” came the dry reply.

Barry frowned. “Restaurant? Which one? What’s going on?”

“ _Mykonos_ , at Fifths and Sereth,” Snart answered. “Just… Please be there.”

The call ended abruptly and Barry spent another minute just staring at his phone. But then he shook himself. Maybe something was wrong? Maybe Snart needed help?

Barry nodded to himself and flashed to his room.

Five minutes later he was ready, wearing black slacks and a red button-down. It wasn’t that he thought he needed to look _nice_ , but if they were going to a restaurant… Well. No sense in embarrassing himself by being dressed wrongly. And the fact that he’d taken a bit longer than usual to style his hair was for the same reason.

Barry grabbed his wallet, phone, and keys and left the apartment. He decided to run a bit slower than usual, to not be too early – also, to not mess up his hair too much.

 

Barry arrived at the restaurant – nice, new, and Greek – with five minutes to spare but Snart was already waiting out front. Barry spent a second to just look at the man. He was… Simply gorgeous. Not in his parka, but normal clothes, blue slacks and a deep-blue button-down that brought out his eyes under his open coat.

He was also holding flowers, lilies to be exact.

“Hey,” Barry said as he stopped in front of the man, slowly moving closer. “Uhm. Is everything okay?”

Snart - Len - looked him up and down for a bit, his hands clenching and unclenching around the flowers. “I… Yes, I…” He took a deep breath.

Suddenly the lilies were in Barry’s face. “These are for you.”

Barry stared. First at the flowers, then at Len, then back again, before he reached out and took them hesitantly.

“I… Thank you.” Barry looked at the flowers again and swallowed. He was starting to get a weird feeling in his gut. “Why do I get flowers?”

Len put his hands in his pockets and shuffled from foot to foot. He was _nervous_ , Barry realized. He didn’t know the other man was even capable of that.

“I thought it was appropriate,” Len grit out before clearing his throat. “Shall we go in? I got us a nice table.”

Barry looked at the restaurant and his weird feeling was followed by a click in his brain. “Len,” he said slowly. “Is this a date?”

He hadn’t known Leonard Snart was capable of blushing, either, but it was absolutely adorable.

Barry apparently wasn’t so screwed after all.

 

***

 

A few weeks went by. Len and Barry went on more dates, some out to restaurants, the movies, bowling, sometimes they stayed in. When they went out, but not to a restaurant, they were often joined by Heatwave, who Barry had taken to calling Mick. He didn’t want to take Len away from his best friend too much, and he also enjoyed the other’s company. It was fun, seeing Len and Mick compete at the bowling alley, or trash-talk during their movie visits, leaving Barry in stitches and the other patrons often pissed off. Once they got kicked out of the movie theater. It was glorious and Barry would treasure that memory forever.

Sometimes he went over to the apartment Len and Mick shared, cooking with them, and watching movies on their – probably stolen – plasma TV. He and Mick, it turned out, shared a love for bad horror movies, while Len hated them with a passion but endured them for their sakes sometimes. On the other hand, Mick and Len had taken to teach Barry how to cook, which was more fun than he’d thought it would be. He felt really welcomed in their home.

Barry never stayed over at Len’s though. When they spent the night together, it was always at Barry’s place. Which wasn’t bad, he lived alone, and was very comfortable in his apartment. And they tended to be quite loud during sex, so he didn’t really want to force Mick to experience that from the next room. But still. Sometimes he wondered how it would feel to wake up in the morning to Mick being sleepy and brewing coffee in the kitchen, or maybe making them breakfast. Barry thought it might be pretty amazing to see.

The first time that thought crossed his mind, Barry was washing dishes and almost dropped a plate. He was alone, thank god, so he could freak out in peace.

He thought back to his interactions with Mick. Gorgeous, smart, sarcastic Mick Rory. Who was obsessed with fire and could – and had – wax poetics about its beauty. But who was also secretly in love with small animals, who was so much smarter than he ever let on, happy to have people underestimate him. Who was loyal to a fault, when you earned it, who would follow your lead when he thought you knew what you were talking about, but also drag you away when he thought you needed help to see reason. Who walked around the apartment just in sweats, sometimes, and did pullups in a doorway with clear view on the living room. Whose scars didn’t _lessen_ his body, but completed it, just like Len’s tattoos did his.

Barry couldn’t imagine his days without seeing Len, without kissing and touching him, or even text with him anymore.

But he also couldn’t imagine not having Mick in his life right next to them, a silent, protective wall at their backs, heating them up where Len would cool them down, both of them grounding Barry to the present when his mind and feet were ready to run off to the future.

 _Shit_ , Barry thought, carefully putting away his dishes. _When did I fall in love with_ both of them _?_

The theory of Barry being screwed was definitely back on the table.

 

***

 

As soon as Barry had his little revelation, Len asked him to give Mick space. Barry didn’t really get it, but suddenly it was just the two of them. They went to the movies alone, didn’t go bowling, and Barry wasn’t invited to Len’s and Mick’s apartment anymore.

When he asked Len for the reason, his boyfriend just shook his head, asking him to respect it, and to let it go. Barry only agreed because he could see how troubled Len was by the whole thing.

 _Maybe Mick decided he hates me after all,_ Barry thought one night. Len was wrapped tightly around him, sweat was still cooling on both their bodies after three very vigorous rounds of sex, but Barry couldn’t sleep.

Barry felt guilty about missing Mick so much. He had Len, he was in love with Len. Shouldn’t he be happy that he had the man here, in his arms, in his bed? That he spent more time with him alone than before? Instead, Mick’s absence seemed like a splinter in his heart, pricking him every day. He missed their banter, the cooking, watching Mick work out, and listening to him telling stories about his adventures without Len.

Len shifted behind him and pressed himself even closer to Barry, mumbling nonsense into his neck.

Barry closed his eyes, trying to suppress the tears in them. How was he supposed to face Len, when his heart didn’t belong to his boyfriend alone, but was torn apart by the feelings he had for Mick, Len’s best friend? Who apparently decided he hated Barry too much to spend time with him.

Barry cried himself to sleep in silence.

 

***

 

Barry was a horrible boyfriend.

His feelings had gotten so muddled, so messed up, that he started to avoid _Len_. He bailed on two dates, even though he had really been looking forward to the movie they were supposed to see. He found excuses why he couldn’t have sex, why Len couldn’t come over as much. He didn’t even look him in the eye anymore.

All because he worried that Len might notice that Barry’s feelings weren’t just for him anymore. Actually, they hadn’t even said the L-word yet, but Barry was convinced Len would notice something was wrong if he could see Barry’s eyes.

Stupid, of course, and that’s how he ended up alone on a Sunday morning, instead of being woken up by a blowjob like usual.

“I suck at relationships,” Barry said to himself and got up slowly, hoping a shower would help him feel less like an asshole. Maybe he could use the day to figure out what to do next, though he doubted it. Hadn’t worked before, after all.

While Barry was munching on some stale toast, his phone went off with a text.

He glanced at it and almost choked when he saw it was from Mick, asking for his whereabouts. Mind racing, he sent back his address on instinct.

Then he slowly put away the rest of his breakfast, suddenly not hungry anymore. He wondered what Mick wanted. Would he tell him to leave Len alone for good? Oh god, was Len breaking up with him via Mick?

Barry closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Don’t be stupid,” he scolded himself. “Len wouldn’t do that.”

But that still didn’t answer the question what Mick wanted from him.

Barry thought about asking Len, but who knew? Maybe Mick never told Len about coming here. Better to not wake sleeping bears and stuff like that.

Instead, Barry sat on his couch, waiting for Mick to knock. It probably wouldn’t take long.

 

When the knock came, Barry had composed himself enough to at least seem calm as he opened the door.

“Mick,” he said, not looking at the other man, “what are you doing here?”

He let out a surprised sound as Mick pushed him back and entered the apartment, closing the door behind himself.

 _Oh god, he’s going to kill me_ , shot through Barry’s mind. Followed by _He’s very hot when he’s pissed._

He couldn’t keep himself from looking into Mick’s eyes any longer. Longing, confusion, and apprehension raced through him. “Mick…”

“Shut up,” Mick growled and grabbed Barry’s shirt, pushing him against the wall, caging him in. “I don’t know what shit you’re trying to pull,” he continued, his breath hitting Barry’s face, making him flush. “I don’t know if this is some kind of game for you, playing with Len like that. But believe me, kid, I won’t stand for it.”

Barry tried to get Mick to back off, but his hands only tightened, to he let his own rest on Mick’s wrists. His mind was blank, there was a roaring in his ears, and all he could think about was the fact that Mick thought he was hurting Len _on purpose._

“It’s not like that,” Barry denied. “I swear, it’s not.”

Mick’s hands under his were so warm, it made Barry shudder, wanting more of that heat.

“Then what is it?” Mick asked, not letting up. “Why are you evading him, why are you making him unhappy? If you have second thoughts, if you didn’t want to be with him anymore –“

Barry had to stop this, Mick’s words were _so wrong_ , he had to interrupt. “Of course I want to be with him, I love him!” Barry almost yelled and then stopped, blinking. _Oh_ , he thought. _I really do love Len._

“I love him,” he repeated, not able to stop the words from coming now. It couldn’t get worse, after all, and they needed to be said, needed to be let out, or they would drown him. “But I think I love you, too.”

Mick let him go so fast, Barry almost stumbled. He looked at Barry as if he’d said something terribly disgusting.

“What?” Mick asked, and his voice sounded weird, not like his usual at all.

Barry swallowed. Nothing for it now, go big or go home, he had to let it all out. His eyes didn’t leave Mick’s, watching for his reaction, for any emotion in them he could understand.

“I shouldn’t,” Barry said. “I know it’s… it’s not fair, not to Len. And not to you. But… Spending time with you, with both of you, I just… I want to be with _both_ of you. I want to stay at your apartment, and watch movies, eating the food we cooked together, and… And I want to fall asleep with both of you.”

Something in Mick’s face, in his eyes, changed during Barry’s rambling. What Barry had thought was disgust was definitely something else. And he was trembling now.

“You’re lying,” Mick rasped out, shaking his head. “You look at Len like he hang the moon, you never… You never saw me.”

And oh. _Oh._ Barry understood now. And suddenly, in a flash, he remembered all those little moments, the feeling of eyes on him he could never understand, remembered how Mick looked at him and Len sometimes, with so much depth in his eyes – that had been pain. And longing. Longing for him, for Barry. For both of them, maybe? For Barry _and Len?_ Could Barry really be this lucky?

“I did,” Barry answered Mick, no time at all having passed for his revelation. He stepped closer to Mick, reaching out to touch his cheek, making the other man gasp. “I always saw you, Mick. It just took me a bit longer to understand what I was seeing.”

He moved in for a kiss. The kiss he’d wanted to have for weeks now, the one he thought he’d never be allowed to have. Mick’s lips were slack under his for only a second, then Barry felt hands on his hips, pulling him closer, just as he returned the kiss with a passion that Barry felt in himself, too. Like it was a dream come true.

 _I can have this_ , Barry thought as he wound his arms around Mick and continued to lose himself in the second love of his life.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is Len and a smutty conclusion ;)


	3. Len

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is shorter than the others, sorry.
> 
> No smut happening after all, I'm sorry :(
> 
> Have some more pain but also: HAPPY ENDING and FLUFF!
> 
> Unbetaed so all mistakes are mine :)

Len and Mick hadn't met under the best circumstances. There had been a jail, yelling, blood, and lots of fear. 

But now, years later, Len wouldn't give Mick up for the world. 

Mick  _ was _ his world. The one he always came home to, no matter how long it took, his  _ partner.  _ He never expected to have these feelings for anyone else. 

 

Enter Barry Allen. Barry was a force of nature. A storm that swept Len away like a leaf. Len didn't expect to fall for the young man, the hero, the one with the brightest eyes he'd ever seen. But he did anyway. 

 

Leaving Mick wasn't an option. And he knew that Mick also saw Barry’s charm, his light, saw that he felt deeply for him, too. But Len couldn't have stopped what would happen anyway. Part of him didn't want to, either. 

 

When Mick told him to go for it, encouraged him to act on his attraction, Len swore that this wouldn’t change how he felt about Mick. And it didn’t, nothing ever could. But of course they relationship changed, shifted, with Barry in the mix.

 

The first date had almost been a disaster.

Len usually prided himself on his planning skills, but this time he had acted on impulse, almost forgotten to get them a table at a restaurant he hoped Barry would like, buttoned his shirt wrong twice, and only in the last minute got some flowers that he wanted to throw away right after, because he didn’t think Barry would even like them. Hell, he hadn’t even made it clear that he was asking his Speedster for a date before the guy already turned up.

Len was mortified.

 

Barry, thank god, took it all very well. They had a great first date, carefully talking and getting to know each other.

It helped that Len had already been classified as more of a good than an evil guy and Barry wouldn’t get in trouble if they were seen by someone from the force. And that Joe West actually tolerated Len now, instead of wanting to shoot him on sight. That was actually one of the first things Barry told him when he agreed to a second date. 

 

After that came the third, the fourth, and, eventually, their first time having sex. And that actually  _ was  _ a disaster. Len hadn’t anticipated what it would mean to fuck a speedster - especially not one who hadn’t had the chance to let out his powers in bed before.

Needless to say that the whole thing ended with a trip to IKEA for a new bed and an almost-trip to the ER which was only avoidable because Barry healed very fast, even with almost being impaled on broken wood. It was a wonder they decided to try again.

 

Barry seemed to enjoy spending time with Mick, truly. Which was another surprise for Len, but definitely a pleasant one. He loved going to the movies or bowling with both of these men, both of them so different, but they still held his heart at the same time. Len thought this was great. He could spend time with both of them, bask in their banter, their mutual friendship, and even get the amazing sex he and Barry had finally managed to discover with each other.

 

Of course it would all go to hell eventually.

 

Len wasn’t actually an idiot, but love blinds even the most intelligent and cautious people. It took him way too long to notice that Mick was fucking  _ miserable. _

Of course he would be, Len berated himself. The man was just as much in love with Barry as Len himself.  _ Of course _ seeing Len and Barry together would hurt him. And  _ of course  _ Mick would never say anything - he was an idiot like that, never willing to begrudge Len a tiny bit of happiness, even if it hurt himself. God, Len and Mick deserved each other, they were both able to be so  _ dumb. _

 

So Len took Barry away from Mick. He thought if he kept them separated it would get better. Mick wouldn’t hurt as much and Barry wouldn’t mind. Again, Len could be kind of dumb sometimes.

He steered Barry away from his questions about Mick, why they couldn’t spend time together anymore, and tried to also make space for Mick alone in his life again. It became fucking exhausting, actually, but Len didn’t want the two man he loved more than his life - only Lisa got more of his love and that was clearly different - hurt more than he’d already been responsible for.

 

When Barry started to turn away, not sleep in his arms anymore, avoided his eyes, started to take rainchecks on their dates - Len thought he’d screwed up. Somewhere along the way he had done something terrible to make Barry realise that Len wasn’t right for him, that he deserved  _ so much more _ .

Len was pretty sure he deserved this, but that didn’t change the fact that it hurt like hell.

 

He couldn’t keep it completely to himself, of course, but Mick asking him what the hell was going on still caught him off-guard. He tried to distract him, tried to play it down, but in the end he broke.

 

“I think he wants to break up with me.”

 

Len was able to hear the pain in his own voice, and knew Mick could hear it, too. The anger in Mick’s eyes was as clear as any other sign of just that. He didn’t want Mick involved, didn’t want to make him think less of Barry - but Len was hurting so damn much, he just couldn’t contain it any more.

 

Still, when Mick hurried out of the apartment to talk to Barry, Len wondered if he should warn the Speedster. Mick could do a lot of damage if he was angry. He might love Barry, but Len would always be his priority - just like Mick should be Len’s, but lately, Len had been sorely lacking in that regard.

 

“I’m such an ass,” he muttered, his head leaning against the back of the kitchen chair. “Why the hell did I have to fall in love with Barry? Wasn’t having one lover good enough?”

He thumped his fist on his leg, once, twice. “God, Snart, you ruin everything you touch,” he ground out.

 

He tried to imagine what Mick would say or do to Barry. Would they fight? Should Len really stay at home and just let it play out?

 

“You’re such a coward, Snart,” he muttered and got up, moving to the bedroom, leaving his phone in the kitchen. He wouldn’t warn Barry. It was all going to hell anyway, he could just as well let it burn to the ground.

 

***

 

Len woke from his doze when he heard the apartment door open. He wondered if he should get up, see what Mick had to say - but then he heard low voices.

 

Len slowly left the bed, moving to the door cautiously. He couldn’t understand what they were saying but the voices sounded like… Barry and Mick? Hope, worry, and confusion warred in his head. He wasn’t sure what to make of them both together, not here, not tonight.

 

He opened the door and moved into the living room, leaning against the door there. Barry and Mick were still close to the apartment door, Barry’s hair tussled and their cheeks flushed. They were leaning towards each other and Len’s eyebrows shot up. He had clearly missed something while he had been wallowing in misery.

 

“Len!” Barry exclaimed and the smile on his face was like the sun. Len almost closed his eyes from the radiance of it.

 

Barry moved in front of him, cupped Len’s cheek, and kissed him softly. 

 

“Hey,” he muttered against Len’s lips.

 

Len blinked. “Hey?” He responded, confused. This was a total 180 from the last few days and he looked at Mick, hoping for some explanation.

 

Mick smirked and stepped closer, just as Barry moved to the side to give him space. Len was even more confused.

 

And then his brain shut down, because Mick grabbed his neck and pulled him into a harsh kiss - their first since Len went and asked Barry out. Len’s eyes fluttered shut immediately and he groaned into the kiss, wrapping one hand around Mick’s waist and pulling him closer. His other hand was held in a death grip by… Barry. Right.

 

Len pulled back and looked at them both. Mick, who was still smirking, but whose eyes were shining. Barry, who lit up the room like a miniature sun.

 

“I apparently missed something,” Len drawled. “Care to fill me in?”

 

“I love you!” Barry exclaimed and, what? 

 

Len stared at him. “Excuse me?”

 

Barry grinned. “I love you. I just… I realized it today. I really do. But…” He looked at Mick and his grin dimmed to something softer, something fond. “I also love Mick. I’m in love with both of you. I want to spend my days going on dates with you both, and wake up to both of you in bed with me. And I bet the sex would be great.”

 

Len was still confused. Barry was rambling and intellectually, Len understood what he was saying. But his brain still wasn’t back online, so he looked at Mick helplessly.

 

Mick smirked even wider. “Well, you heard him,” he said and shrugged, his fingers on Len’s neck rubbing circles into the skin. “And you already know that I’m yours, and how I feel about the kid. He and I… Talked it out.”

 

From the way Barry blushed and they both looked, there hadn’t been much talking, Len thought, fighting the urge to laugh hysterically.

 

“You love me,” he said to no one in particular, maybe to both of them. “God. You really… Really?”

 

“Yes, Len,” Barry said softly, squeezing his hand. “We both do.”

 

Mick nodded. “What about you though?” He asked, clearly kidding. He knew how Len felt about him, always had. But Barry…

 

“God, never leave me,” Len groaned and pulled them both closer, kissing first Mick and then Barry who made an eager noise against his lips. “You’re both mine? Promise?”

 

“We promise,” Barry answered against the skin of his neck while Mick just grunted and bit his earlobe.

 

“You’re not getting rid of us,” Mick whispered into his ear and Len almost sobbed as all the worry and pain he’d felt the last few days ebbed away.

  
_ I can have this _ , he thought fiercely as he lost himself in the two people who owned his heart, mind, and soul.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are love <3


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